Away
by Ducky2196
Summary: Shay, Kelly, Gabby, Herrman, Cindy, Matt, Antonio and Laura spend a week away at Gabby and Antonia's Aunt and Uncles holiday house. When the group realise there are two people who should be together but aren't. Fun, relationship, friendships and humour occurs. Completely AU. (I suck at summaries)
1. Some Time Out

**Ok so I don't usually write chapters this short, but I am testing the waters a bit with this fic. I had have some ideas running through my head recently and I wanted to get them down. **

**This is totally an AU story but I DO try to keep the characters as much in character as possible, I do try to write them as they are in the show. This is my first Chicago Fire fic, I usually write Fringe fics but Chicago Fire has become my new obsession :D, that and I love Jesse Spencer! **

**Let me know what you guys think and if you like it I will continue! Mistakes are my own!**

**Chapter 1 – Some Time Out**

Gabby, Shay, Laura and Cindy each lay on their own flat deck chair, allowing their bodies to take in as much of the beautiful sun light as humanly possible. "Gabby, I cannot tell you now beautiful this place is. Thank you so much for inviting us, we really needed the get away." Cindy turned her head to the girl next to her, smiling. Each of the fire fighters and EMT's at Fire House 51 had been granted a weeks worth of leave to be taken whenever they saw fit in thanks for the year they had all had. So naturally Gabby had invited Shay, Kelly, Matt, Herrman, his wife Cindy to her Aunt and Uncles holiday house in the country, away from the city, the sounds and more importantly, the kids. Antonio and his wife Laura had also made the trip with them, making it a very full house and a very fun week away. They had been there for only two days already but each of them were becoming closer in their friendships than ever before.

"Your more than welcome Cindy, I'm just happy you guys could make it, I mean this place goes to waste without someone in it most of the year." Dawson smiled, they had positioned themselves by the lake at the back of the house, each in their bikinis, the hot sun glaring down on them. "This was such a good idea, I mean our boys are off doing whatever it is they are doing and the kids are home! We can finally have some times to ourselves." Cindy laughed but it was Shay who opened her mouth next, "Our boys? Other than the fact that I am gay and technequally Kelly is my boy, Dawson is the _only_ one who doesn't have a _boy_." Shay knew she was stirring the pot now and she was doing it on purpose.

"Well now I think we have to fix that!" Laura laughed and sat up looked at Gabby who had also say at, knowing full well where this conversation was going, but decided to play dumb, "I have no idea what you are talking about," she said before rolling onto her stomach to try and hide her face. "Oh come on!" Shay leaned over and slapped Gabby on the ass, "You are so into Casey it's not funny! Why don't you just admit it?!" Laura and Cindy started to laugh at the antics of the two friends, they both could see Gabby had a very big thing for Matt and they could also see that Matt had a very big thing for Gabby, so they both knew the rest of this week was going to be fun.

Laying back down after trying to attacked Shay for hitting her, Gabby signed, "I told you, I zigged, he zagged, it wasn't meant to be." As the words fell from her mouth, she remembered the pain she felt when he had kiss her cheek, telling her in no words that he didn't want anything with her other than friendship. "Oh don't give me that crap! You cannot believe it's not meant to be and if you do you are insane!" Shay leaned for Gabby's behind again but this time Gabby saw it coming and grabbed her hand before she had a chance to hit her, the four woman laughing as the two girls fought to gain control over the other.

Matt had never been one to accept anything for free and so when he had spoken to Gabby's Uncle about the deck that needed fixing at the back of the house, the house they were going to be staying in for free for the next week, he had jumped at the offer to help out. It wasn't that the family could not afford to get it fixed, quite the contrary, it was just not something that was on their top priority list and so Matt had offered to take up the job, which would only take him a few hours with Kelly's help, plus it helped take his mind off knowing that Gabby was not far from him, doing god knows what with the girls.

"So tell me man, what is going on between you and Dawson?" Kelly spoke as he brought his beer to his lips, his feet stretched out in front of him as he watched Matt hammering some nails into the deck before passing him a beer. Matt looked up suddenly from his work, reaching for the beer and rubbing his hand across his sweaty forehead. "What are you talking about?" He tried to sound innocent, but he knew he could not fool Severide. "Oh don't give me that, I have seen the way you have been looking at her…" Matt took a swig of his beer and looked away. It was true, he was pinning for Gabby but he would _never_ let her know that, he had already messed it up with her once and he wasn't about to do it again.

"I don't know man. I mean she is amazing, but I already messed up once with her so I don't think she is willing to try again." Matt scoffed at Kelly's confused face; he had forgotten that they weren't speaking to each other at the time of the Christmas party he attended. "Well I went with her to her Aunt's Christmas party last year and, I mean I told her I wasn't going to go if it was just friends, that I would go if it was a date. We had lots of fun, and she looked _gorgeous_ in her dress but when she leaned into kiss me, I guess I panicked a bit, and I … kissed her on the cheek."

Matt mumbled the last part because he knew Kelly would give him shit for it, which he did. "Oh what!? Man you are so stupid sometimes! Why would you do that!?" Kelly couldn't believe it, kissing a girl on the cheek as they lean into kiss your lips is the universal sign of 'I just want to be friends and nothing more'. "I don't know! Ok, I was dealing with some stuff with my mum and my sister and I guess I didn't think it was far to start something with her when I didn't know if I was in the right frame of mind. I never said it was a smart thing to do, did I?" Matt watched Kelly sigh, before speaking again, "So what happened afterwards?"

Matt thought for a second, he could lie and say she was fine and they went back to normal but that wasn't true, she had been hurt, he knew that and it almost killed him to know that it was him that had hurt her, "We weren't on the best terms for a while, I could tell by the way she would look at me, or not look at me, the way she look away when I came into the room or when I looked her way, she was hurt, and it was my fault. Then she started dating Mills and Hallie and I started up again." Matt shrugged, he had played out that whole situation in his head a millions times, small details changing each time to show that he actually had the balls to tell her how he felt, but in the end it would always end the same. Gabby looking at him with pain in her eyes.

"Well, maybe you need to rectify that. I mean she isn't with Mills anymore, and she has been there for you with everything that has been going on, maybe that was her way of telling you she still wants you. Just being there to help you out when you needed it, staying in your life without pushing herself on you." Matt thought for a second about what his best friend had said before nodding, sculling his beer and moving back finishing the deck they were working on.

**Any thoughts? :D**


	2. A Long Way A Way

**Thank you SO much to all those who reviewed! I never expected so much love and so here is the next chapter. They should start to get longer as I go! I will also be incorporating things from the show, issues, incidents, conversations etc. to try and make it more authentic … I hope! :D**

**I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter so please let me know what you guys think **

**Chapter 2 – A Long Way A Way**

Antonio and Herrman walked along the front of the house, the grass crunching beneath their feet with each step they took. As soon as Antonio had mentioned the boat their aunt and uncle had, Herrman had to see it and so off they went, to the front shed, Herrman excited at the idea of going for a fish with the boys later in the week. "How's the little one?" Antonio knew that Cindy and Herrman had had a child less than six months before hand, he loved kids, if he could, him and Laura would have another but he didn't know how much luck he would in convincing Laura to go through it again.

"Oh man, he is good. Getting really big! The place is madness, I am just happy we were able to move out of the in laws house and into our own, ya know?" Bonding over children and their families might have seemed like something they wouldn't do but Antonio and Herrman knew they were on the same wavelength, both knowing that their families were their lives. "God, its scary when you see them grow up the way they do, I mean my eldest daughter has just started to get into boys. How am I supposed to deal with that!" Antonio shook his head, he hated thinking about his daughter dating, although she was still a little young to be, he could tell by the posters in her room and the TV shows she watched, it wasn't because of the music or the good story telling that she had those interests, it was the boys in the bands and on the screen.

"There is nothing you can do about it. We are all doomed when our kids get older. It's exactly how our parents felt I'm sure. I mean your what, six years older than Gabby? How must you have felt when she started dating?" Antonio scoffed, "I am eight years older and it was horrible, she had horrible taste in guys, the bad boys, always making a fuss, I worried about her, put the hard word on most of the guys. I mean, I still worry about her. It's different now though, I want her to be happy, I want her to find someone but at the same time, no one is good enough for her." Herrman laughed, he found it amusing how Antonio would talk about Gabby, like he was her father but he knew the two were close, he just wished his kids would be as close when they were older.

The two men walked from the front of the house to the back, finding Matt and Kelly sitting on the newly finished deck. "So tomorrow, the four of us will head out by the river down the road and see if we can't catch dinner?" Antonio changed the subject, as much as he loved his sister, he didn't want to think about her with guys, although he knew that there was one guy she really wanted. Matt and Kelly looked up as the two came around the corner, handing them beers and sighing at the hot sun on their faces. "Oh that sounds like a right plan." Matt revelled in the idea of going fishing, he hadn't been since Hallie had died and despite the reasoning for the trip that time, he had enjoyed himself, coming back a month later refreshed and ready to move on with his life.

After a few moments in the heat and a few more swigs of the beers, Kelly spoke, "Where are the girls?" each of them shrugged, not knowing the land well enough to make a judgement call on where they would be, Antonio laughed, "They found the late by the back fields, Gabby and I used to swim their all the time, the rope swing is still there I think. God water sounds so good right now…" and with that the boys each smiled, finished their drinks and made their way inside to get their swim suits on and headed out to the lake.

It wasn't a long trip to the lake, no more than about 10 minutes but in the heat, it felt like so much more. It wasn't long until the boys could hear the laughter coming from ahead of them and Matt smiled. He could pick Gabby's laugh from a mile away and he loved it, the smile she showed when she laughed and the little quirk of her right eye, he loved everything about her, plain and simply, he _loved_ her. That thought brought a smile to his face, the goofy grin he got when he thought about her, totally unaware that Antonia and Kelly had looked his way.

As they got closer to the lake, the boys stopped short, it wasn't just a spit of water in the middle of a paddock, it was actually enclosed by the side of the mountain on one side, a small water fall coming from high in the mountains off the rocks and there were beautiful tree's lined up around the areas as well. It was a very secluded place and it was beautiful. "My aunt found this place one day and turned it into a closed off area. She had all the plants put in, she loves it up here." Antonio smiled at the look of awe on the faces of the boys; happy they had reacted that way. Coming into the clearing near the water, the girls looked over their shoulders at the sound of their footsteps.

"We thought we would come join you." Kelly spoke as he made his way to Shay, sitting on the side of her lounge, Herrman and Antonio following suiting and putting their towels down next to their wives. Matt just smiled, as he placed his towel on the ground, noticing out the corner of his eye that Gabby had turned her body towards him, watching his movements, interested to see what he would do next before moving back to her laying position, her arm covering her eyes to stop the sun from hurting her. Matt revelled in the fact that she had covered her face; he was able to look at her, really _look_ at her.

He took in her bronze coloured skin, the way her legs curved and her chest rose and fell as she breathed. She was beautiful. His smile grew a little more as he took in her very small belly that was visible between her bikini top and bottoms that she was wearing. She was by no means chubby or fat or anything by that name but she also wasn't completely skin, her tummy showing that she liked to eat and wasn't afraid of food and that's what he loved about her. She wasn't perfect but she was his perfect.

Gabby could hear the movement around her as she covered her eyes, the sun glaring down on her, annoyed she had not brought her sunglasses with her but she was also using her arm as a tool, out of the corner of her eye, where her arm was not covering she could Matt watching her, looking at her up and down and she smiled, they had often caught each other staring but had always smiled it off and went about their jobs, but this was different, she _knew_ he was looking at her because of what she was wearing.

She heard him clear his throat after a moment, smiling to herself again as she heard Antonio speak, "Casey, over here!" She heard Matt walk away from the group, moving her arm from her face and looked to her side, getting a nice view of him in his swim trunks and no shirt, her breath caught in her throat at the sight of his bare back and she could only image what was going to happen when he turned around, but he did, he and Antonio walked off towards the side of the mountain, she knew where they were going.

Casey followed Antonio up the side of the mountain, very few words were spoken between the two men, but they just seemed to know exactly what the other was thinking. "Gabby and I found these ledges when we were kids, we used to see who was able to climb the highest and who had enough balls to actually jump. Needless to say I was always the one who went the furthest." Matt followed with each step with the side of the mountain, coming to a landing about 30 feet in the air. They looked down at the group below. The girls laying on the couches and the two boys looking up at the sky, watching to see what was going to happen next. "You need to aim for the middle of the lake, that's the deepest point."

That was all Antonio said before he took three very quick steps and leapt off the ledge, falling the distance before meeting the lake, the laughter and splash echoing through the enclosed space. Matt waited a few moments, seeing Antonio's head come back up from the bottom of the water, he laughed, no one ever said they had to be mature on this trip. With one quick glance at Gabby, who was watching him intently, Matt followed exactly what Antonio had done, taken three large steps and then leapt off the side of the ledge, calling out as he made his way into the lake.

The sudden rush of very cold water surrounded Matt as his body was completely encased by the liquid; he wasn't expecting it to be that cold. He didn't know how long he had stayed under the water for but as his body rose, his head, shoulders, chest and arms crashed through the top layer of water he called out, the rush of air in his lungs and the coldness of the water caused a slightly painful 'wow' to come from his lips.

As he cleared his eyes, he noticed that each of him friends were laughing at him, they had clearly found his noises amusing, each but Gabby, who took a few moments of looking at him before cracking a smile. Matt wasn't sure why she wasn't laughing but he was going to ask her about that later on.

Gabby had watched as Matt hit the water, her smile growing as she remembered her and Antonio doing the same think when they were kids, but when Matt didn't come up straight away, her smile faded. He was down longer than he should have been and she was worried, she was going to go in after him but as she rose slowly, Matt's head reached the surface of the water, a strangled sound coming form his lips as he flicked his head to the side, water spraying across the lake, he hand rubbing eyes to clear the water from them. She watched him for a moment but smiling, he was ok. That was all she needed to know.

Feeling the heat on her back, Gabby decided it was time to get in the water, Matt was still there, Antonio had come out to be next to his wife, and she needed to cool down. Walking the short distance to the water, Gabby let the water engulf her feet, then her legs, her hips, her stomach, her chest and then her shoulders. She had never had any issues getting in cold water, and when she looked into the middle of the lake, seeing Matt floating not far from her, watching her every movement, it made it all that much easier to get in the water.

"It's cold isn't it?" He spoke to her softly as he came to her side, loving the way she moved in the water, the way she tipped her head back to wet all her hair. "Yea, but I love the cold water, especially on days like today." She smiled back at him, feeling as though no one else was around. Matt reached out his hand for her, they were best friends, it was not unusual for Matt to touch her arm or her hair or her hand, and so he hoped that this would be no different, or at least wouldn't freak her out too much.

They seemed to be in a trance, Matt and Gabby floated in the water, barely apart, their hands encased together, not even realising others were around until splashing and voices were heard. "Hey Gabby, remember playing wrestle wars?" Antonio laughed at the memory. Gabby pulled her hand from Matt, a shy smile gracing her face at the thought of their hands together and so she turned to face her brother. "You mean do you remember getting beaten by me at wrestle wars!" she laughed; she was always so good at that game.

"What was wrestle wars?" Kelly called out as he and Shay followed Herrman, Cindy and Laura into the water. "It's when you have a partner and you sit on their shoulders in the water, another pair do the same thing and then the two people on top try to push the other one off. We used to do it all the time!" Gabby smiled wider at that memory, those were good days. "Oh that sounds like fun!" Shay jumped on Kelly's back pulling herself up to his shoulders and resting there, "Ok, who is first!?" Gabby smiled and looked at Matt, his smile matching hers and so she reached for him, bringing herself onto his shoulders to match Shay's position and so they fought.

Their arms were outstretched, trying to grab the other and make them fall, after a few moments of tugging and pulling and much laughter, Shay and Kelly both fell to the side into the water, claiming Gabby and Matt the winners. Laughing so much, Matt accidently leaned too far, sending Gabby over his head and back into the water. She spluttered as she found the surface again, Matt's hands around her hips steadying her. As she cleared the water from her face she found herself to close to Matt she could feel his breath on her face, the worry in his eyes as though he had hurt her. The world seemed to fall away until Cindy spoke, "My turn!"

Matt didn't want to let go of her, he had her so close, their legs moving through the water together, touching and bumping, his hands on her hips holding her close, and her hands on his shoulders, steadying herself. Today was going to be a good day.

**Please review! :D **


	3. Never Alone

**God, you have no idea how much I LOVE the love I am getting from everyone! Thank you so much to every one who reviewed, favourite, alerted etc, it makes writing worth it! **

**Now I don't really know how I feel about this chapter but I had a hard time writing it so please let me know what you all think! :D **

**Chapter 3 – Never Alone  
**

It was nice, walking next to Matt, he seemed genuinely interested in her family, he listened and laughed as they spoke, but she could tell that he wasn't going to open up about his family like she was. His family was something that was just not spoken about and Gabby wished that wasn't the way it was.

But she would wait, there had been times he had opened up to her, letting pieces slip the cracks, like letting her come to his mothers parole hearing or when he had cried on her shoulder after Hallie had died, telling her that nothing made sense. It wasn't that he hid things from, quite the opposite but there were things she knew not to ask him about.

Inadvertently their pace slowed as they neared the house, both subconsciously not wanting this walk and talk to end. But it was just at the base of the staircase to the deck that Matt stopped, reaching for Gabby as she walked past him, his hands on her arms turning her to face him. He cleared his throat before he spoke, "I just want to thank you so much for this week, you have no idea how much I needed it. And ... For everything else you have done for me. I don't know where I would be without you Gabby."

Gabby blinked at him a few times before smiling, "You're welcome Matt, I'm glad you could make it." She was very, very aware of his hands on her arms, the feeling of warmth running through her. Smiling down at her once more, Matt pulled her into a tight hug, needing her to know exactly how much he appreciated what she had done for him. As he held her, Matt felt her relax against his body, a deep sigh coming from her lips but as he pulled away to look her in the eyes, there was something else there, content, pleasure and happiness.

There were so many things he wished he could do, like hold her forever, kiss her deeply or just find the courage to tell her how he felt, but he wasn't going to do any of those things and so he pulled away, brushing his hand across her face as he did. "Come on, it's getting fresh out here and I think that Severide might actually start to cook if we don't get in there." Matt started walking away, never removing his arm from around Gabby's shoulder though, keeping her as close as possible.

He jumped a foot in the air when a long finger poked him in the ribs, "What do you mean if _we_ don't get in there, you can't cook to save your life!" Stopping suddenly, Matt turned to her, his face completely straight with seriousness, "Is that so?" And with one small quirk of his eye brow, Gabby took in at full speed towards the house, laughing as Matt chased after her, trying to catch her but only succeeding to almost slam into the close door that she locked as he made it inside before he did. "Oh you are so in for it now!" he scooted off towards the front of the house, listening happily to the laugher echoing through the house.

* * *

Herrman and Cindy sat resting against the headboard of their bed, they had made it inside before anyone else, needing time to rest and relax, enjoying each other's company. "You know, I really needed his time away from the kids, I mean I miss them so much but it's good to not have to worry about them all the time. I know they are safe and enjoying themselves with your parents." Herrman turned to Cindy who smiled sleepily at him, "I know what you mean, I think when we get back next week we will be able to deal with whatever they throw our way!"

Hearing movement outside their bedroom door, Herrman listened closely, interested to know what was going on, _"I think we should do something, I mean they have been so close to kissing like 3 times this trip. Come on Kelly! Help us out here."_ It was Shay's voice that they could hear and so, Cindy smiled, pulled the door open and found four people standing there. Antonio and Laura, Shay and Kelly all looked her way, a smile on their faces that showed they completely understood what the plan was going to be without even saying anything.

They all looked around, wondering where Matt and Gabby had gone off to until they heard noises coming from the kitchen area, following one by one they walked down the stairs slowing listening to their conversation and finding them close to each other again, Matt sitting on the counter with a beer in his and Gabby leaning next to him, her eyes on the boiling pot but listening intently to what he was saying. "Oh this is going to be good … " Laura turned around to the girls behind her and they smiled while the boys looked at each other with a small amount of worry in their eye and a shake in their head.

* * *

Dinner was surrounded with laughter and jokes, stories and embarrassing moments that they all wished hadn't been spoke about but that was the point of all of this, to become closer, to enjoy the company and the friendship. Dinner turned into drinks and then drinks was joined by cards, where yelling and swearing soon followed. "You know what! I give up!" Herrman dropped his cards and stood, "I am saying goodnight before I get into more trouble, have fun guys," he swigged the last of his beer and left the table. "I should probably join him, it's after midnight and the lake tired me out today." Waving goodbye Cindy followed her husband.

Within the hour Shay and Kelly followed suit, Shay bearly being able to keep her eyes open at the table, Kelly almost forcing her to go to bed, Laura and Gabby deciding it was time to sleep as well, leaving Antonio and Matt alone, half a beer in each of their hands and tired smiled on their faces. "Laura is amazing, I don't know how she puts up with you with all the stunts you have pulled. I mean the stories Gabby was telling and has told me, I would have given up on you a long time ago!" Matt laughed as Antonio nodded, "Tell me about it, half the time I don't even know how she is still with me, but I guess I can't be as bad as I think right!?"

Taking a swig of his beer, Antonio spoke again, "How you think the Hawks are going to go this year?" Sports, always something Matt loved to talk about, in particular the ice hockey. "As long as Sharp and Kane are at their best they should do alright. Here's to hoping that they decide to keep Crawford in net, his shots percentage is pretty good." Matt took a drink, man he wished to see another Stanley Cup make its way to Chicago, considering he had taken a photo with the _real_ Stanley Cup thanks to Otis's cousin but to see the Hawks with another would be gold, their last win hadn't been since 1960! "Alright man, I'm off. Night." Antonio dropped his empty bottle in the sink and patted Matt on the arm, sending him a goodnight wave as he left the dining room.

Matt was left alone for almost twenty minutes, his mind relaxing after the long day he had had today, he was finally letting his body wind down before finishing the rest of his beer and switching off the lights before heading upstairs. He was so happy to be surrounded by the people he loved.

As he walked down the hall with his head down, his mind running over all the things he could say to Gabby, all the things he wished he could say and all the things he knew wouldn't come out of his mouth if he tried. If he was honest with himself he was terrified of being rejected by Gabby, probably the same way she felt when she had tried to kiss him but that's what made it that much worse. He didn't actually know if she wanted anything with him anymore. And that was his fault, plain and simple.

He was so lost in his own thoughts that Matt didn't see the bathroom door open, nor did he see the person who walked out of it just as he walked past it. It wasn't until he heard the 'eugh' and he felt the collision against his right arm did he looked up. There he found Gabby, standing in a pair of shorts and a singlet top, her back against the bathroom door thanks to the collision between them.

"I'm so sorry. Gabby are you ok?" He reached for her to steady her, his eyes softening as he realised what had happened, but she just laughed it off, "I'm fine really, it's ok. I didn't see you there and I guess you didn't see me either. I was just having a shower before bed, so … Goodnight Matt." Gabby reached up and placed a kiss goodnight on his cheek, wanting so much to pull her lips ever so slightly to the left and touch his lips but instead she pulled away, opened the door across the hall and went to her room.

It was late, almost 2.30am and Matt couldn't sleep, he kept staring at the wall to his right, knowing that Gabby was just on the other side of it and he wasn't able to, or man enough to go in there and kiss her. It wasn't the right time, it wasn't the right way and so he had to be content with imagining her on the other side of the wall, never realising that Gabby was doing the same thing in her room, staring at the wall where she knew Matt was.

* * *

Matt took the large staircase two at a time on his way down the next morning. He was in a really good mood. He had slept well, dreamed of Gabby most of the night and now he was ready not to hold back, he was determined to find a way to tell her how he felt. It was quiet in the house, he assumed everyone was still asleep, that was until he came to the landing at the bottom of the stairs, he heard a familiar voice whispering softly from the lounge room.

"My, my, my, what is this?" There was shuffling and some movement and a giggle, Gabby. "What's your problem Antonio? Huh?" It was a playful tone, almost happy to see her brother. "I've no problem, I am just shocked you're drawing!" His voice raised a little at the last word, Matt's brow furrowed in confusion, what was the big deal if she was drawing? Wait Gabby could _draw_?

"It's nothing really..." There was movement again and then a gasp, before Matt heard paper being pulled from someone's hands, then silence. He was tempted to make his presence known, also knowing that eavesdropping was a horrible thing to do but he curious. "Wow, how long have you been up?" Antonio's voice softened this time, the sound of cushions moving indicating that someone else was sitting down.

The more silence, Matt could only imagine Gabby biting her lip in embarrassment, a small smile coming to his lips at the thought of that image, he loved it when she did that. "I dunno, a few hours I guess." There was shock in Antonio's voice when he spoke, "You did all this in a few hours!?" Whatever she has draw must have been good. "Gabby, it's been what ... 13 years since you drew last, if I remember you swore never to draw again ... What changed?"

Matt scrunched his brow again, unsure of what they could mean, but he kept listening, needing to know what came next. But there was silence, nothing but complete silence for a few moments; Antonio spoke again, "You must really like him, huh?" There was another chuckle from Gabby, he voice finally finding itself, "Yea, yea I really do. I mean ... He is my best friend but, oh you know Antonio, I want what you and Laura have and ... If for nothing else he is my best friend." There was more shuffling sounds and then a sigh.

"Sweetheart, you deserve the best, remember that." Again another chuckle, "Gee thanks big brother. But I don't think he feels the same way about me, I mean, I am his best friend. Nothing more." Matt was shocked, he could only hope that she was talking about her feelings for him but he needed to know. "So why did you invite him this week if it's clearly killing you to have him so close and not be able to tell him how you feel?" It was a valid question, Matt just hoped she have an honest answer.

"Like I said, he is my best friend and when you like somebody, proximity is a good thing, regardless of how they feel about you. Or don't in my case..." More silence, god Matt hated the sound of nothing, he couldn't take I anymore and so as he walked the three last steps towards the doorway to make himself known he heard Gabby speak again, this time not stopping to hide, "now I don't want to talk about this anymore and please give me that back my book."

As Matt stepped into the lounge, he sick covered feet creaked on the floorboards, causing Gabby to look up shock and Antonio to look behind him. "Morning guys, you're both up early." He tried to be casual, and it worked, Gabby seemed to relax a little in her seat and Antonio stood, "Yea, guess we both don't know what 'sleep in' means. I'll get you some coffee." And with that Antonio left Matt and Gabby along in the lounge together waiting for the coffee to arrive, soon followed by the loud noises of others waking up in the house.

**Just and FYI, the Hawks did actually win the Stanley Cup in 2013 if anyone didn't know and was interested :D Please review! :D**


	4. Complete

**Ok so like I said, I wasn't very happy with the last chapter but I am hoping that this one is better! :D Also being that I do not live in the States, can anyone tell me why there is no new episode this week? Thanks**

**Also remember that I am taking liberties here, this is completely AU! Mistakes are my own.**

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**Chapter 4 – Complete**

Gabby sat on the cushioned seats built into the back window, looking out over the paddocks, memories of a childhood spent enjoying the sun. She had spent so much time in the paddocks riding the horses and swinging in the lake that she never thought that anything would ever go bad in her life, and yet there was so much that had gone bad although so much had gone right as well. She remembered getting her first horse, remembered being so completely scared of riding him that it took her almost 6 months before her aunt and uncle could get her on the horse let alone how long it took her actually ride the thing, it was Huge! She was only 6 and the horse was already 3 times bigger than her.

That was where Andrew came in. He was no more than 8 years old, his parents owned the estate next door, more like up the road, but he had been riding since he was about five years old and so when his parents brought him and his horse over for join in the fun at the Dawson's residence, Gabby instantly found her best friend. He had teased her at first about not being able to get on the horse, about how much of a baby she was about being scared, but deep down he remembered feeling that way. He had helped her not feel scared when she was sitting on the horse, held her hand when she thought she was going to fall and just talked her through everything she needed to know.

From that day on, Andrew and Gabby had spent every day together on the holidays, missing each other's company when they were away at school and almost jumping out of their skin when they knew school was ending and they would see each other again. He really had become her best friend.

"Hey Gabby, you alright?" Kelly's voice pulled Gabby from her thoughts and she turned to him, slightly shocked that she had not heard him come in. She took him in, his height, his looks, he was a very good looking guy but he was not what she looked for in a man, she liked hers more … blonde … Smiling back at him she moved her legs, motioning for him to come and sit down by her side. "Yea I'm fine, just thinking about all the times I spent out here." Kelly smiled back, she had become the little sister he never had, he cared very much about her, always wanting to make sure she was happy and safe.

"You know, this has been the best few days I have had in a long time and I have you to thank for that." Kelly placed his hand on her shoulder, his soft smile showing more emotion than his words ever did. She laughed gently, "You are the third person to tell me that since we got here. I am just happy everyone is happy. I'm glad the others have decided to go their separate ways though, go exploring. It's amazing some of the things you can find on this land if you aren't looking for it. Speaking of, where are you headed?"

She knew, she didn't have to ask but she wanted to keep the conversation away from her. Kelly smiled, tugging on his towel over his shoulder, "Me and Shay are going back to that awesome lake. I think Cindy and Herrman will meet us later and Antonio and Laura have gone into town for lunch…" Kelly purposefully trailed off; he wasn't going to be the one to bring up Matt, he wanted Gabby to do that and as if on queue the words fell from her mouth, "What is Matt up to today?" There is was, the little blush that came with saying his name, Kelly smiled again, "Not sure, I think he was just going for a walk or something, he didn't really say. Enjoy your day, I think we were talking about heading to dinner in town tonight as well but I don't know for sure."

And with that Kelly stood and left, leaving Gabby to her own thoughts. Everyone was going to be out, Matt was off doing whatever it was that he was doing and Gabby was alone, for the first time since she had gotten to the house she knew exactly what she was going to do with her afternoon. Heading outside Gabby found herself standing in front of the third stable to find that there stood her most trusted friend. Harley had been her second horse; her first horse was moved to another stable when he had become unruly. The large brown and black horse was been a gift when she was 12, the fowl barely 3 years old, had grown attached as soon as she was patted, never leaving her side.

"Hi Harley, how are you sweetheart? I missed you girl." Gabby wrapped her arms around the horse's neck, smiling as Harley remembered her and turned her head towards Gabby. "You wanna go for a burn baby?" Gabby pulled away and reached for the saddle and blanket, throwing both over the horses back, strapping her up and mounting her. As she rose into her seat, Gabby breathed in, it had been a very long time since she had ridden Harley and she was surprised that she even let her get on. Pulling tightly on the reins, Gabby kicked Harley out the stable door and towards the open paddocks.

The wind whipped around her as she sent Harley from a canter into a full-blown gallop, feeling everything fall away as she concentrated on the direction she was sending the horse, feeling the memories coming back to her. Smiling she urged the horse faster, finding the fence and sending Harley soring into the sky, leaping over the dividing fence. Laughing loud as Harley hit the ground, Gabby pulled tighter on the reins, pulling Harley's head back, encouraging her to slow down, she could feel Harley breathing hard against her legs.

She had no idea how long she had been out in the paddocks, trotting, jumping, cantering, everything she could to feel the freeness that she had felt when she was a child. She guessed it was close to two hours that she had been there, the sun had moved, she knew that for sure but the rumbling in her stomach was what told her for sure that she had been out longer than she thought. In the distance, Gabby noticed someone standing against the fencing of the paddock, not being able to make the person out, Gabby made her way to the fence, noticing that it was Matt standing there when she came closer.

"Hey, what are you doing out here?" She called out as she got close seeing his smiling face looking back at her. He laughed, ducking under in between the fencing and coming to her side, reaching out for the horse's neck. "Thought I would come and see what you were doing. You are amazing on this horse; I never knew you could ride. You looked beautiful!" His offhanded comment made her blush, something she was happy that Matt had missed, while his head was down, patting Harley. "Thanks, it was my favourite thing as a kid, Harley …" she patted Harley on the neck, "…is my baby, she is my best friend." Matt smiled at the words out of Gabby's mouth, he loved hearing her so happy.

* * *

Matt had spent a lot of the morning walking through the trees on the Dawson's land, the sun shining through the tops as he took step by step, listening to the sounds around him. He was at peace in this place; his mind was fresh, not worrying about what might happen at the next fire or what is happening in the firehouse. This place was beautiful and he had finally decided he was going to tell Gabby how he felt, how he screwed up the Christmas party and how he has regretting that night ever since the moment his lips touched her cheek instead of her lips.

Finding himself at the open paddocks towards the back of the house, Matt noticed a horse and it's rider in the back paddock, the speed of the horse increasing as it suddenly was pulled into a jump and sent over the dividing fence. It was Gabby. She was riding that horse like they were one and she was beautiful, he could hear her laughing as she sped the horse up and slowed it down, sending it over small mounds in the ground or large hay bails, her hair blowing in the breeze as she urged the horse on.

He watched as Gabby slowed the horse down before trotting towards him, the bounce in her seat showing him that she was happy. "Hey, what are you doing out here?" she called out to him, coming ever closer. Taking the chance, Matt ducked under the middle and top wire of the fence, coming to meet Gabby in the middle of the paddock. He reached out for the horse's neck, rubbing gently by the side of it's main. "Thought I would come and see what you were doing. You are amazing on this horse; I never knew you could ride. You looked beautiful!" Matt faltered, unsure of why he actually said what he did, afraid he had just blown his composure and so he ducked his head, hiding it from her eye line.

He felt Gabby's hand brush against his own as she reached down to pat the horse, a small amount of excitement coming over him at the touch. She spoke with such excitement in her voice it made him smile, "Thanks, it was my favourite thing as a kid, Harley …" she patted Harley on the neck, "…is my baby, she is my best friend." Matt smiled up at her, loving the sound of her voice.

* * *

Matt walked by Gabby and Harley's side as they walked back towards the stables, chatting and laughing and genuinely enjoying each other's company. He was amazed at the way she moved getting off the horse, the way Harley swung her head in Gabby's direction signalling wanting a scratch or brush or food. He was completely fascinated by the interaction between the two. "It's awesome to see how Harley is around you, the communication without actually being able to speak, it's amazing."

Gabby smiled again, finishing up putting feed in Harley's bucket before closing the stable door, "Yea it comes with being so close for so long. I'm surprised she let me ride her again after being away for so long. She used to get a bit bitey if I was away for even a couple of weeks without seeing her." Seeing the confused look on Matt's face Gabby continued, "When I was gone and didn't see her for a while, when I got back she would try and bite my leg when I was on her, not hard just enough to let me know that she wasn't happy that I was gone and when I got off her, she would grab a hold of my jacket because she didn't want me to leave."

Matt couldn't believe it. The understanding that this animal had was more than anything he could have ever imagined. They stood together just outside the stable, the sun still shining, staring up at each other, barely inches apart. "Hey … I want to show you something …" Gabby took Matt's hand, holding it in hers and entwining their fingers before leading him to what she wanted to show him.

* * *

They walked hand in hand through the house, they were very close and neither of them wanted to pull away until Gabby stopped outside a closed door. She knew this room would be something Matt would appreciate, the sporting memories and the Blackhawks memorabilia. Pushing the door open and leading him inside, she smiled as he looked around the room, in awe of the signed jerseys and photos and pucks and sticks, he looked like he was in heaven.

Pulling herself to sit on the side of the pool table Gabby waited; interested to see if he would say anything but it was a few minutes before he did. Matt didn't know what to say, he was shocked, that room was amazing. Turning slowly he found Gabby watching him, her legs dangling on the side of the pool table as she sat.

"This place is incredible! I can't believe you uncle collects this stuff!" Gabby giggled, oh god she giggled, "My aunt found most of this, they are both huge fans." That didn't surprise Matt at all that her aunt was a hockey fan, but Matt still couldn't get over it all. The room was filled with hockey things and well as others, things he hadn't noticed before.

He looked at the pictures on the wall, the painting that were amazing before turning to Gabby, "Is that your name?" the art works all held Gabby's signature in the bottom corner, something Matt had become familiar with throughout his time working with her. She laughed, "Yea I used to draw all the time when I was younger, not so much anymore though …" She trailed off as she spoke, Matt going back to looking around the room. His voice called to her, "Why did you stop?" But it was just a shrug and a simple answer that was her reply, "Just did."

There were family photos, graduation photos, bits and pieces sitting on shelves and cupboards, scattered around the room, but it wasn't until he noticed a photo of a young looking Gabby just hear the bar, her hair was shorter and her face younger but it was definitely her. Walking towards the photo, Matt picked it up, holding it close.

She looked so happy, the smile on her face and light in her eyes made Matt smile, he had seen that smile before, very few times. She had smiled and laughed but this smile, the full faced, completely awe inducing smile; that was rare. He turned to her, taking the photo with him and he heard her sigh as Matt showed her what was in her hands.

Gabby hadn't looked at that photo in many years, it was when she was about 17 years old, some of the happiest time of her life, and that's saying a lot considering she was only a teenager but it was. She smiled sadly at the other person in the picture, her boyfriend at the time, Andrew.

They were in young and in love but they were friends for the longest time and if things had been different they would probably be married. There must have been a sad look on her face because Matt was at her side, lifting her chin up with his finger, his voice soft, "Hey, what's wrong?" She looked down again before sighing. "When I was six, my aunt and uncle introduced me to their neighbours, they had a son a couple of years older than I was, anyway, we became close, he was my best friend, we spent everyday together, we did _everything_ together, he taught me how to ride."

She placed the photo frame down on her left, letting him sit on the side of the pool table to her right as she reached for his hand again. "When I was 12, being still young, the boy, Andrew, kissed me. It was totally out of the blue, we had _no_ idea that from that moment on, we would essentially be boyfriend and girlfriend. It sounds so silly now, saying it like that but we were. Anyway, we were never apart, other than school we would talk every day and meet up all the time. He would have been the one I married when I got older."

Gabby pulled Matt's hand closer, needing to feel him still there with her, there was no one she had ever told this story to before. "When I was twenty, he was twenty two, and he started getting sick, we just thought it was the flu or something but it turned out to be so much worse. He had cancer, a rare and aggressive form that the doctors gave him six months to live." Matt was silent, he had no idea this was something that had happened in her life. "We were so in love, we had talked about marriage, kids, a home together, and then he got sick. It got so much worse as soon as we found out. He fought, he fought like hell but it became too much for him."

She sniffed, it was hard telling this story, Andrew would always hold a special place in her heart, a place no one, not even Matt, would be able to get to. "He died two years later. You asked me before why I stopped drawing …" She looked up at him, finally noticing that he had gotten off the pool table and was now standing in front of her, nodding. "Andrew was the last thing I drew, it was something for him when he was home in bed, I finished it the day before he died, it was of the two of us, together in the sun like we loved to be. The picture was buried with him. I stopped drawing after that. It was the last time I was completely happy." She had cried enough over what had happened but it still made her sad.

Again Matt's finger found her chin, lifting it gently, "I am so sorry about what happened Gabby." His small smile was enough to cause one on her lips, "it's ok, I just wanted to tell you because …" She turned and lifted something from her pocket, a piece of paper folded neatly, " … I wanted to show you this …" She handed it to Matt who opened it slowly, it was a hand drawn picture of herself and Matt, holding each other in the lake like they had actually done days ago. She had drawn it from memory, the smiles on their faces, the water around them, the sun shining down on them, it was amazing. "Wow, Gabby, this is incredible." She laughed, "I wanted to show you that I am happy again, I am drawing again."

Matt placed this picture down on the pool table, looking back at her; that must have been what she had drawn earlier that morning, when Antonio had found her. Placing his hands on her cheeks Matt made her look up at him, their eyes locked, he leaned forward and while their lips were inches apart he waited, wanting to make sure she wanted this as well.

It was a moment too long for Gabby and so she leaned in the rest of the way, her lips gently touching his as they kissed. Her arms encircling around his waist as the kissed deepened between them.

**WOW that was a very long chapter! Hope you liked it! Please review! :D**


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